On April 24, 2017, the Federal Communications Commission issued the Public Notice titled FCC Seeks Comment and Data on Actions To Accelerate Adoption and Accessibility of Broadband-Enabled Health Care Solutions and Advanced Technologies and is requesting comments, data, and information on a broad range of regulatory, policy, technical and infrastructure issues related to the emerging broadband-enabled health and care ecosystem.

The FCC seeks information on how the Commission can help enable the adoption and accessibility of broadband-enabled health care solutions, especially in rural and other underserved areas of the country. The Task Force expects to use this information to identify actions that the Commission can take to promote this important goal.

On July 21, 2017 the Federal Communications Commission’s Connect2Health Task Force announced that it will convene several virtual listening sessions over several weeks, starting the week of August 7, 2017, to more efficiently facilitate targeted input on broadband health issues (including on the rural/urban gap and other digital divide issues) from non-traditional stakeholders and those outside the Washington, DC area. This effort specifically relates to the Task Force’s development of recommendations on critical regulatory, policy, technical, and infrastructure issues concerning the emerging broadband-enabled health and care ecosystem described in the April 24, 2017, Public Notice issued in GN Docket No. 16-46.

In addition, the formal comment period for GN Docket No. 16-46 will remain open until September 29, 2017, to give interested parties an opportunity to file additional comments and information following the completion of the virtual listening sessions. View the July 21 Public Notice.

For Further Information

For further information about this Public Notice, please contact Ben Bartolome, Special Counsel, Connect2HealthFCC Task Force, at (770) 935-3383, or via e-mail at connect2health@fcc.gov (inserting "Question re GN Docket No 16-46" in the subject line). Press inquiries should be directed to Katie Gorscak, Communications Director, Connect2HealthFCC Task Force, at (202) 418-2156, or via e-mail at Katie.Gorscak@fcc.gov.